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Secondly, we look to a significant increase in the strength of the Division - long over-due in my opinion this will enable the Director to beef-up various units within his Division. This will help to improve the service provided to law enforcement agencies and other government departments in the terms of the quality of advice we give.
Thirdly, we shall facilitate the greater use of Chinese in the courts by assisting in the production of bilingual indictments and charge sheets, and by improving the ability of prosecutors to conduct cases in Cantonese.
Fourthly, we will provide specialist training to Crown Counsel dealing with vulnerable witnesses so as to facilitate the implementation of the proposal to allow videotaping of evidence in such cases and for the better handling of trials involving vulnerable witnesses.
Mr President. I have set out at some length the improvement already made what we have in the pipeline to demonstrate that these are not products of crisis management and not evidence of resistance to change to ostrich-like attitudes as we have been accused by some this evening.
It is against this background of steady improvements that I welcome the review proposed by the Honourable Mrs Elsie Tu's motion. I say this for a number of reasons. Firstly such a review would tie-in with the process of improvements already started by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Secondly, the Prosecutions Division had grown in size over the years and will expand further. At the same time, the criminal law and procedures have grown in terms of specialisation and complexity. Both factors suggest that there is a need to review the way in which decisions are made. Thirdly, it is vital that the decision-making process should be one which commands public respect and confidence, for the prosecution process is of such vital importance to the maintenance of the rule of law in Hong Kong. We must ensure that the proper checks and balances are in place.
For these reasons. I fully support the motion calling for the Director of Public Prosecutions, with the assistance of independent experts, to carry out a review of the decision-making process in the Prosecutions Division and I have taken a careful note of the suggestions made by the Hon Mrs Elsie Tu as to its composition. The Director 1 know is anxious to press ahead with the review, with a view to producing to this Council a public report before the end of the year.